Friday, April 9, 2010

The Early Times Distillery was established in 1860 in Early Times Station, Kentucky, by Jack Beam, Jim Beam's uncle. To celebrate the 150th anniversary of the brand, Early Times Kentucky Whisky will release a one-time, limited release expression in a commemorative 375ml bottle.

Beam named his distillery Early Times because he believed the industry was turning too modern, too quickly, and he wanted a brand name that captured the 'good old days.' The name was selected to remind consumers of the old-fashioned methods of making whisky - mashing grain in small tubs and boiling the beer and whisky in copper stills over open fires.

Closed by Prohibition, the distillery, brand and barrel inventory was acquired by Brown-Forman Distillers in 1923. Brown-Forman was one of a small number of distilleries that received a medicinal whiskey permit and thus was able to remain open during Prohibition. Brown-Forman moved the production of Early Times to Louisville, Kentucky, in 1935 where it has thrived to this day. Every drop is distilled there under the late 1800’s permit number DSP–354.

"This commemorative bottle celebrates the rich history of Early Times’ role as the second oldest continually produced whisky brand in America,” said Joe Murray, brand manager for Early Times. “While Early Times is now made with modern methods, its name still invokes images of the good old days and still provides a welcome reward at the end of a hard day’s work. As one of America’s top selling Kentucky Whiskies for the last 60 years it still lives up to its reputation as 'The Whisky that made Kentucky Whiskies Famous.'"

The Early Times 150th anniversary edition will come in a unique 375ml bottle at 100 proof and carry an Early Times retro 1920’s label. The distillery will produce only 3,000 cases which will be available in 20 US states at a suggested retail price of $11.99 per bottle.

"Early Times 150 is crafted to emulate the flavor profile the brand would have possessed in 1923 when it was acquired by Brown-Forman,” said Chris Morris, Brown-Forman Master Distiller. “Most whisky aficionados who have been treated to a prohibition-era medicinal whisky taste a late bottling. These contain whisky that was aged up to three times longer than the distiller planned. In 1923 Brown-Forman began bottling 5-6 year old Early Times as medicine. This bottling, with its light honey color, mellow oak, brown sugar, vanilla aroma and simple sweet corn, vanilla and faint butterscotch taste bring back the best of a by-gone time - an Early Times to remember."